These days, it is easier than ever to build your own website. So you might be tempted to forego the services of a professional web designer and instead use some site-builder software and a pre-made template to create the website of your business or organization. This is indeed possible – but one must be aware of the many other factors involved in properly designing, building, testing, launching, and maintaining a website that will look attractive and serve your needs. This article will provide a brief overview of the steps involved and perhaps give you a better appreciation of the roles of a professional web designer.

Design Principles

The first step of a web design project is to have a plan and a clear idea of what you want your website to look like and do. As a do-it-yourselfer, you may choose a pre-designed template from site-builder software. There are two problems with this approach, however. One is choosing the correct template. Many of those available are quite old and if you use them, your site will instantly look outdated. A professional web designer knows the designs that are modern and effective. Another problem is that, even if you find a newer template, many other sites may be using that same template. The result is that a lot of websites look identical. As a business or organization, one of your goals may be to visually attract visitors so they stay and read about your services and offerings. This is typically done by adding customized design features that make your site stand out. This may be a challenge if you don’t know design principles. A professional web designer does and can make effective use of colors, fonts, and element placements. So one of the first steps of a project is deciding on modern and attractive design.

Content Collection

Once a general design is decided upon, the next step is to collect content for your site. This includes photos, illustrations, videos, text and, in some cases, sound. So you may have an idea of what you want and then just start collecting from anywhere on the internet. One must consider, however, the usage rights of the content. You don’t want to get in trouble by using content you have no right to use. A professional web designer has the experience of understanding licenses and what content is appropriate. Plus, the web designer likely has a full arsenal of “go to” sites where they can quickly find the content you need. Another consideration is file sizes. Inclusion of many large files will cause a slow-loading website that detracts visitors. A professional web designer will know how to choose and optimize content of appropriate file sizes for a fast website. 

Domain Name Registrations and Site Hosting

For your website to be “live” and viewable by the public, you must have a domain name and hosting. Your domain name will typically be related to your business or organization such as yourcompanyname.com. But you can’t just pick any name, you must first confirm it is available. A professional web designer knows exactly where to go and what to do to find and register one of your domain name choices. Next is to find hosting for your website. This is typically a hosting company that owns and manages a number of servers. For the do-it-yourselfer, this step may be challenging and/or frustrating because there are so many choices. A professional web designer has the experience and knowledge to guide you to an appropriate choice of hosting based on the nature of your site and expected number of monthly visitors.

Site Migration / Going Live

With a domain name registered and site hosting in place, the next step is to upload your content-filled website to your hosting server. This is done using ftp (file transfer protocol) or file manager software provided by your hosting company. This can be daunting for the do-it-yourselfer. The professional web designer, on the other hand, performs these tasks routinely and can make sure all your files are transferred correctly. Furthermore, a professional web designer can take care of the “back end” tasks such as ensuring your domain name is properly linked to your hosting account, installing appropriate security certificates, and generating a site map for search engines.

Responsiveness

One might think you are done once the website is designed, registered, and uploaded. But there are still additional factors that must be considered. One is that you must test your website to confirm it is responsive, that is, displays properly across multiple devices from ultra wide monitors to small cellphones. A professional web designer takes this into consideration during the design steps and it should not be an issue when the site is live. A do-it-yourselfer could choose a template that is not responsive but not realize it until the site is live and have no idea how to fix it. A professional web designer has the skills to make changes resulting in a responsive website.

Accessibility / Privacy

A do-it-yourselfer may not be familiar with accessibility and privacy requirements. Your website should be accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. This means that your website should be easy to use and navigate, and that it should be able to be used by people with all types of disabilities. Likewise, you must have a clearly stated policy on how your website handles visitor information. These factors are important because businesses have been held legally liable and fined for not complying with accessibility or privacy requirements. A professional web designer will have familiarity with these concepts and ensure your website is compliant.

Maintenance

You can’t just launch a website and never touch it again. A live website needs upkeep and maintenance. This includes performing routine backups, updates, and security scans. Professional web designers perform these tasks regularly and, in many cases, include such services as part of their design project proposals.

Conclusion

In conclusion, designing and developing a website is a lot of work with a lot of steps that the do-it-yourselfer might not have considered. In many cases, the act of hiring a professional and experienced web designer will avoid frustrations or issues and be well-worth the cost.